The GREEN Fairy Book - online children's book

Illustrated classic fairy tales for children by Andrew Lang

twenty-four squires and a hundred men-at-arms, each one leading a splendid horse, while Prince Manikin entered from the other side armed only with his spear and followed by the faithful Mousta. The contrast between the two champions was so great that there was a shout of laughter from the whole assembly; but when at the sounding of a trumpet the combatants rushed upon each other, and Manikin, eluding the blow aimed at him, succeeded in thrusting Prince Fadasse from his horse and pinning him to the sand with his spear, it changed to a murmur of admiration.

So soon as he had him at his mercy, Manikin, turning to the princess, assured her that he had no desire to kill any one who called himself her courtier, and then he bade the furious and humiliated Fadasse rise and thank the princess, to whom he owed his life. Then, amid the sounding of the trumpets and the shoutings of the people, he and Mousta retired gravely from the lists.

The king soon sent for him to congratulate him upon his success and to offer him a lodging in the palace, which he joyfully accepted; while the princess expressed a wish to have Mousta brought to her, and when the prince sent for him she was so delighted with his courtly manners and his marvelous intelligence that she entreated Manikin to give him to her for her own. The prince consented with alacrity, not only out of politeness, but because he fore­saw that to have a faithful friend always near the princess might some day be of great service to him. All these events made Prince Manikin a person of much more con­sequence at the court. Very soon after there arrived upon the frontier the ambassador of a very powerful king, who sent to Farda-Kinbras the following letter, at the same time demanding permission to enter the capital instate to receive the answer:

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"I, Brandatimor, to Farda-Kinbras send greeting. If I had before this time seen the portrait of your beautiful daughter Sabella I should not have permitted all these adventurers and petty princes to be dancing attendance and getting themselves frozen with the absurd idea of meriting her hand. For myself, I am not afraid of any rivals, and, now I have declared mv intention of marrving your daughter, no doubt they will at once withdraw their